Swiss Roadmap for Research Infrastructures

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The Swiss Roadmap for Research Infrastructures is a report on the status and development of national and international research infrastructures. It is updated by SERI every four years in preparation for the Federal Council Dispatch on the Promotion of Education, Research and Innovation (ERI Dispatch). This report provides an overview of future needs and planned developments in the various research areas and thus serves as a basis for the ERI Dispatch.

Overview

The State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) periodically prepares a report – the Roadmap – on the status and development of national research infrastructures as well as international research infrastructures and internationally coordinated research infrastructure networks that Switzerland takes part in. Roadmap reports have been published every four years since 2011 and are used to prepare the corresponding ERI Dispatch (see 2011) (PDF, 2 MB, 30.03.2011)2015 (PDF, 614 kB, 24.06.2015), 2019 (PDF, 2 MB, 17.04.2019) and 2023 Roadmaps).

SERI takes the following into account when preparing each roadmap report:

  • priorities of fields of expertise and disciplines in Switzerland;
  • corresponding development priorities of the ETH Domain and higher education institutions (HEIs) in Switzerland;
  • Switzerland's duties under international agreements;
  • developments, particularly in the European research and innovation area, with regard to establishing and operating internationally coordinated research infrastructures.

The report is drawn up with a view to the next ERI period and serves as a coordination tool for the federal government and HEIs. The legal mandate is set out in the Federal Act on the Promotion of Research and Innovation (Art. 41 RIPA and Art. 55 RIPO).

SERI is responsible for coordinating, drafting and publishing the roadmap. To this end, it works directly with the ETH Board and the Swiss Conference of Rectors of Swiss Higher Education Institutions (swissuniversities), the two bodies responsible for the institutions of the ETH Domain and HEIs. The ETH Board and swissuniversities each draw up a sub-process for coordination in their respective areas of responsibility. SERI also works on behalf of the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) and the Swiss Academy of Sciences (SCNAT).

Roadmap 2023

The 2023 Swiss Roadmap for Research Infrastructures provides a general overview of newly planned research infrastructures and will be used to prepare the ERI Dispatch for 2025-2028. At the same time, the report contains updated information on infrastructures that were mentioned in the 2015 and 2019 Roadmap reports and still require continued funding.

The preparatory phase of the 2023 roadmap process began in April 2021: under a SERI mandate, the Swiss Academy of Sciences (SCNAT) worked with various scientific communities to produce the first thematic roadmaps for research infrastructures. This was a novelty compared to previous editions of the Swiss Roadmap report and was intended to inform decision-makers (i.e. university management) of research infrastructure needs and thus facilitate selection and prioritisation.

Outlook: Roadmap 2027

SERI is currently preparing the implementation of the Swiss Roadmap for Research Infrastructures 2027 (Roadmap 2027) with a view to the 2029–2032 ERI Dispatch.

National infrastructures

Purpose and function of the 2027 Roadmap: The national roadmap process is primarily used by the responsible bodies and institutions to prepare and set priorities for future long-term investments in planned national research infrastructures. The roadmap serves as a tool for coordinating efforts at national level. Responsibility for building, financing and maintaining these infrastructures remains with the relevant higher education institutions and research institutes. The national roadmap is not an instrument for federal funding of infrastructures.

The Roadmap 2027 process is outlined below, specifying the partners responsible for the main phases:

  • Preparatory phase: Under a SERI mandate, SCNAT is updating the thematic roadmaps in the main research areas under its responsibility. The thematic roadmaps compile the needs that the scientific communities have expressed in terms of national and international infrastructures in the fields concerned. These updates will be published at the end of 2024 and will be used to facilitate the selection processes of the ETH Board and swissuniversities.
  • Phase 1: The ETH Board and swissuniversities work on behalf of SERI to coordinate project selection for new national RIs or substantial upgrades. Selections are made in line with the strategic plans of HEIs and research institutes and their own strategic plans. (For cantonal universities and universities of applied sciences, see www.swissuniversities.ch/roadmap.)
  • Phase 2: On behalf of SERI, the SNSF evaluates the RIs selected in phase 1. This evaluation is based on the RI projects’ scientific excellence and feasibility.
  • Phase 3: In agreement with the HEIs and research institutes involved, the ETH Board and swissuniversities carry out an in-depth review of the RIs positively evaluated by the SNSF. This review will focus on the funding and implementation potential of the proposed RIs. The results of this assessment will be communicated to SERI and incorporated into the roadmap.
  • Roadmap 2027 report: SERI drafts Roadmap 2027. Roadmap 2027 serves as a supporting document for the 2029–2032 ERI Dispatch and presents ERI stakeholders with an overall view of RIs.

SCNAT is currently updating the thematic roadmaps in preparation for phase 1 of the roadmap process described above, which will be launched towards the end of 2024. A guide to the roadmap process will be published on this website.

Researchers and project leaders involved in planning new national RIs (or substantial upgrades) are invited to contact their vice rector/vice president for research or, where appropriate, other relevant leadership so that these new RIs can be evaluated for selection during phase 1.

SERI has set up a working group for the operational monitoring of Roadmap 2027. Its members include the people responsible for the roadmap process at the ETH Board, the General Secretariat of swissuniversities and the SNSF, with support from SCNAT and the ORD Strategy Council.

As part of an overhaul of the roadmap process, ERI stakeholders decided that Roadmap 2027 would be created using a similar process to the one for Roadmap 2023, with a few possible improvements. More fundamental changes are currently under discussion for Roadmap 2031.

International infrastructure networks and organisations

Swiss participation in international research infrastructure networks and international research organisations will also be included in Roadmap 2027. SERI is responsible for the 2027 process for these participations, which will be similar to that of Roadmap 2023. This process will be determined on a case-by-case basis with the stakeholders concerned.

Please contact Cyrille Girardin with any questions about the Roadmap 2027 process: cyrilleclaude.girardin@sbfi.admin.ch

For more information on swissuniversities processes for universities and universities of applied sciences at cantonal level, please visit: www.swissuniversities.ch/roadmap

Contact

SERI, Cyrille Girardin
Scientific Advisor
National Research
T +41 58 467 30 37

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